Shrinking hat bodies



prl 22 SHRINKING HAT BODIES Filed March 17. 192) Egg In ven 0 r Milam?? f/arenzV Patented pr. 22, 1924.

WILLIAM`A. LORENZ, OF HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED STATES HAT MACHINERY CORPORATION, F RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, A CORPORATION OF VIR- GINIA.

SHRINKING HAT Bovins.

Application tiled March 17, 1920. Serial No. 366,488.

To all whom t may concer/n:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. LORENZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hartford, in the county of Hartford and State of Connecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shrinking Hat Bodies, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a process for shrinking a fur hat body. In the well known process of forming hat bodies, the fur is blown upon a perforated cone until the desired amount is deposited thereon, the fur being held to the cone by suction. When the proper amount of fur has been deposited on the cone, the cone with the body is removed from the machine and dipped into scalding water or liquor, which starts the operation of felting the fur bres together.

In this condition the perforated cone upon which the hot body has been thus formed, is transferred into the shrinking machine; another perforated cone is placed over the first cone, when the process of this invention may be carried out.

In the dra-wings Figure 1 shows the machine, a portion thereof being in section. Fig. 2 shows the cone portion of the machine of Fig. 1, with the fur on the cone. Fig. 3 shows a plan view of the inner cone without any fur thereon, and Fig. t shows the cone with a fur body thereon.

In the drawings, .an upright 5 is shown having a projecting bracket 6, for supporting the cone table 7. This table 7 is rotated at the desired speedy by means of a bevel 8 attached to the lower end 9 of the turn'- table. Another bevel 10 in bracket 11 may be driven by any suitable means, so as to rotate the table 7 at the proper speed. This rotation may be slowly continuous, or may be intermittent; that is, having a short step by step motion. The turntable supports thel inner cone 12 which is perforated at 13. This cone 12 may be fastened to the turntable 7.

The holes 13 are preferably inclined upwardly, while the upper holes llet may be disposed vertically or slightlyl radially.

Upon this cone 12 is shown a fur hat body 19-19. The inner surface of this outer i cone is placed close to the outer surface of the hat body 15. The space between the two cones 12 and 18, at the upper portion of the cone is closer near 19, than the space between the two cones near 20.

The outer cone is made with a hollow chamber as at 21, and is secured to the arm 22, the whole being carried by a slide 23y on the upright 24. A crank handle 25, by means of bevel gears 26, turning the screw 27, enables the entire outer cone to be elevated above the inner cone, so that a hat body may be placed on the inner cone or removed therefrom.

The inner cone is hollow and connects with a passageway 30, and through a pipe 31, with a 2-way valve in a casing 32. Air may be exhausted fromV this casing through a pipe 33 with a suitable exhaust pump. The casing 32 is provided with an outlet at its upper portion connected to pipes 34, 35, 36, 37 and 38, secured to the top portion of the outer cone at 39.

When the valve in the casing 32 is turned by means of proper mechanism, air will be exhausted through 'the series of pipes, and from the space 21, in the outer cone. In other words, atmospheric air is admitted to the interior of cone 12, so that the pressure in said cone is in equilibrium with outside atmospheric pressure. This operates to release the hat body from the cone 12, and to jump across the space between the cones, and deposit itself upon cone 18. This operates to slightly stretch the conical hat body.

By reversing the operation of the mechanism and of the valve in casing-32, the air will be cut off from the outer cone 211 and cone 18, and a vacuum will be created in cone 12 which will draw the hat body back upon the surface of the cone 12. This will .tend to slightly compress the hat body, permittin the felting operation to take lace.

y repeating this operation rapidly; that is, several hundred vibrations per minute,

referees may be continued so long as further shrinkthe shrinking will take placeart each im-v ing of Ythe hat body is desired. Or if it is pulse to a slight extent. i

The pipe 4() is connected to two pipes 41 and 42, which are threaded in the upper portion ofthe outer cone 18. Scalding water oraliquorrmay be introduced into thecone through these pipes, at suitable intervals, which water may be drawn off thro-ugh the pig-,e 43. ig. 2 shows theY fur body 15, sucked upon the inner surface of the outer cone 18. At this Vtime the inner cone 12 is rotated a slight amount, so as to mismatch the holes 13 and 14 with the body when it YYreturns to the -inner cone 12. The rotation to a slight amount is accomplished by turning the shaft by any well known step byY step ratchet de- Y vice, Vsuch attachment, however not being shown, but should attached to the shaft :towhich the l.bevel gear 1GV is connected.

.idOcs the inner cone,the junction of these Y parts being at 45. At this point packing The outer cone 18-21 does not revolve, as

mfy be'introduced if necessary. i

the hatbody is shrunken it grows thicker and shorter; the lower end of theA body is shown at 46.

tion of the vacuum, created alternately in the chamber 21 and the interior of the cone :Y 12, is efficiently carried on until suflicient of*Y the holes 13 are uncovered, because of the shortening of the hat body, to interfere with the creation of an elicientrvacuum in the chamber 21 and cone 12. Up tolthis peint the apparatus produces the desired rapid vibration of the hat body whereby a hat body, shrunken and felted to a predetermined degree, is produced. In other words the arrangement ofthe holes in the cone 12 is such as to govern and control the extent of vibrator treatment to be accorded to a given hat ody. Y If, however,ffurther shrinkage of the particular hat body isdesired, subsequent to the uncovering of the holes 13 in sufiicie'nt num,-

Y bers to interfere with the alternate creation of an active vacuum in the chamber 21 and cone 12, it is obvious ,that the shrunken hat body may be transferred to another machine of the same character hav*- ing a morerestricted area of perforations than that of theirstrmachine or in which the holes 13 may be differently arranged to accord with the desired shrunken condition of the hat body at this stage.v Thefvibra-VY tion of the hatY body shrunken in the firstYV machinewill then be continued in the second machine in exactly the same manner as in the first, i. e., by the production of a vacuum alternately upon opposite sides of said hat body. The transfer of the 'shrunken hat body to successive machines Yand in scaldingthe hat desired to avoid the necessity for transferring the hat from cone te cone, suitable means may be included in the apparatus for progressively ciosing those holes 13 as the lower rows thereof may become uncovered as the shrinking of the hat body proceeds. For the purpose of simplification, however, said means haveV been omitted from the drawings as such means are merely supplemental to the subject matter of this invention which is directed primarily to the operation of shrinking a hatbody by means of vibrations imparted-thereto as the result of alternatelyset u vacuums operative on opposite faces of t e hat body.

The invention claimedV is:

1. The process of shrinking a fur hat body, which consists in placing ayhat body upon an inner perforated cone or form; then placing an outer perforated cone 4around the outside of the inner cone; and

Y. f* transferring or blowing operation.YY The vibratlon of the hat body, by the ac- 2. The process ofY shrinking a fur hat outer perforated cone around the outside of the inner cone, with a space between the surfaces of the two cones; and in rapidly transferring the hat body from one cone to the other by air pressure, and in repeating the operation alternately; and in scalding the hat body atlintervals.

l3. Therprocess of shrinking a fur hat body, which consists in placing a hat body upon an Yinner perforated cone; then placing an outer perforated coneY around the outside ofY the inner cone with'a space between the perforated surfaces of the two cones; then in alternately blowing or drawing the hat body fromione cone to the other cone, blowing it to a greater extent at the lower end of thercones, than atY the upper ends of the cones, so as to increase the pressure thereby at the lower or brim end of the hat body; and in scalding the hat body at suitable intervals. i

f 4. The process `of shrinking a fur 'hat body, which consists in rapidly vibrating CII the hat body from an ,inner perforated cone towards an outer perforated cone, and vice versa, and-thereby exerting pressure upon the hat body at eachrimlulse, or vibration;

t\ervals. i

5. In an apparatus for shrinkin i' fur hat bodies, means for shrinking a fur at body, consisting of a perforated inner cone, a perforated outer cone, and having a space beody at proper in-l tween the two cones for the introduction of a fur hat body, means for vibrating the hat body from one cone to the other cone, and vice versa, means for exerting pressure upon the hat body at each impulse or vibration, and means for scalding the hat body with hot liquor at proper intervals.

6. A hat-shrinking machine comprising an inner perforated conc, an outer perforated cone separated therefrom, and means for causing the hat body to vibrate back and forth between said cones by fluid pressure.

7. A hat-shrinking machine comprising an inner perforated cone, an outer perforated cone separated therefrom, means for causing the hat body to vibrate back and forth between said cones by fluid pressure, and means for effecting relative rotation of the cones.

8. A hatshrinking machine comprising an inner perforated cone, an outer perforated cone separated therefrom, means for causing the hat body to vibrate back and forth between said cones by fluid pressure, and means for effecting relative rotation of the cones step by step.

9. A hat-shrinking machine comprising an inner perforated cone, an outer perforated cone separated therefrom, means for causing the hat body to vibrate back and forth between said cones by fluid pressure, and means for supplying water to moisten the hat body during the shrinking operation.

10. A hat-shrinking machine comprising an inner perforated cone, an outer perforated cone separated therefrom, means for causing the hat body to vibrate back and forth between said cones by fluid pressure, and means for supplying water to moisten the hat body during the shrinking operation comprising an inlet pipe connected withv the outer cone.

l1. A hat-shrinking machine'comprising an inner perforated cone, an outer perforated cone separated therefrom, means for causing the hat body to vibrate back and forth between said cones by Huid pressure, and means for effecting rotation of the inner cone.

12. A hat-shrinking machine comprising an inner perforated cone, an outer perforated cone separated therefrom` and means for causing the hat body to vibrate back and forth between said cones by fluid pressure, said cones being mounted for relative displacement to give access to the inner cone.

13. A hat-shrinking machine comprising an inner perforated cone, an outer perforated cone separated therefrom, means for causing the hat body to vibrate back and forth between said cones by fiuid'pressure, and a lifting device whereon said outer cone is mounted to 'lift it clear of the inner cone.

14. A hat-shrinking machine comprising an inner perforated cone, an outer perforated cone separated therefrom, said inner cone having an interior chamber, said outer cone surrounded by an exterior chamber, and means for exhausting air from said chambers in alternation.

15.,.A hat-shrinking machine comprising an inner perforated cone, an outer perforated cone separated therefrom, said inner cone having an interior chamber, said outer cone surrounded by an exterior chamber, and means for automatically exhausting air from one of said chambers while atmospheric air is admitted to the other of said chambers, and for repeatedly reversing the operation t0 cause the hat body to be blown back and forth from one cone to the other. 16. A hat-shrinking machine comprising an inner perforated cone, an outer perforated cone separated therefrom, said inner cone having an interior chamber, said outer cone surrounded b an exterior chamber, and means for ex austing air from said chambers in alteration, the erforations in said inner cone being incline upwardly and outwardly.

17. A hat-shrinking machine comprising an inner perforated cone, an outer perforated cone separated therefrom, and means for causing the hat body to vibrate back and forth between said cones by fluid pressure, said cones being so proportioned and placed that the space between them narrows at the apex portions of the cones and widens at .the base portions of the cones.

18. A hat-shrinking machine comprising an inner perforated cone, an outer perforated cone separated therefrom, means for` causing the hat body to vibrate back and forth between said cones by uid pressure, means for eHecting rotationof the inner cone; said cones being mounted for relative displacement to give access to the inner cone, means connected with said inner cone to exhaust and admit air thereto in alternation at all rotative positions of the cone, and means connected to the outer`w cone chamber to exhaust and admit air thereto while permitting displacement of the outer,

cone surrounded by an exterior ehember,

. means for exhausting eir from said ehbers in alternation, and ineens for supplying soalding water during the operation of shrinking the hat body.

21. The process of shrinking a moistened hat body, comprising blowing the hat wai to and fro between inner and outer slightly separated cones or forms.

mennen 22. The process of shrinking e moistened 10 hat body, comprising blowing the hat body to sind ro between inner and outer slightly seperated cones or forms and moistening the same with hot water during the shrinking operation.

Signed et Hartford, Connecticut, this 16th day of March, 1920.

. LLIAM A. LURENZ. 

